Delroy Corinaldi, a co-founder of the Black Footballers Partnership was sharply critical last night of the UK government’s failure still on two big issues: the Football Governance Bill and the racial imbalance in football management. Speaking at the House of Commons last night during the Black Football Partnership awards, Corinaldi said that the bill currently presented is too narrow in scope and is intended to introduce an independent regulator in football and distribute revenue distribution fairly in the sport.
This is at a time when 43 percent of Premier League footballers are black,
While only 4.4% of all management positions are held by black former players. On executive leadership, ownership, and other roles, it is just 1.6%. According to Corinaldi, the reason black footballers typically become a “lost generation” is this dire need for change.
Corinaldi appealed to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy
To accept that black players can lead in sport “and we can have black players not just as entertainers, but great leaders of the game.” The “Football Governance Bill,” he said, provided an opportunity for deeper systemic reforms within the sport and called for wider provisions to promote diversity within the management sphere.
Corinaldi’s sentiments were echoed by former manager Chris Hughton,
Who stressed that improvement meant the best possible representations for generations to come. On receiving the Tony Collins award for leadership, Hughton had stated that ‘real’ changes in the numbers of black managers and executives must be realized.
Mary Phillip, the nation’s first black player
To be captain of the England women’s team since 2007, took a look at her experience and pathways available for players nowadays. She put forth her arguments on how opportunities are accessible or hard to access for aspiring black players with the Emma Clarke award, “It would be very hard to answer that question [about joining the England team now] and it’s probably no because the pathways aren’t there.”
As the UK government continues to push forward with the Football Governance Bill, advocates of diversity in football eagerly ask for practical steps that would take the sport to reflect its very diverse player base and would be presented as equal opportunities in the managerial and leadership hierarchies.
